……Yes, it’s THAT time of year again !!

Following the straw poll of members at Club, we have booked The Harvester in Blunsdon for our annual Christmas Dinner 2026.

The booking is for 19:45 on Thursday 3^rd December 2026.

Remember Station Managers, sons, daughters… also very welcome.

Please see Harvester website for menu details at:

www.harvester.co.uk/restaurants/southwest/harvesterswindonwiltshire/menus/festivemenu

Please email Den with your menu choices ([email protected]) and he will QSL.
 (Whatsapps, Texts, QSOs on WH and carrier pigeon drops will all be ignored!)

Payment via BACS to SDARC’s account below – either a minimum £5 deposit or your cost in full.

PLEASE be careful to recognise the different two/three course cost…
AND the supplemental charges on Steak, Ribs & the Go Large Turkey options.
Also, if you are ordering Steak please include in your email how you prefer the steak to be cooked (blue/rare/medium/well done/cremated etc)

SDARC Account details :

Sort Code: 20-84-58
 Account Number: 80868728
 Please add a reference: Your call sign and “Christmas”.

It would help get acknowledgement of your payment sooner if you email [email protected] to tell Andy that you have paid (as the Bank doesn’t send him any notifications!) . Please remember he too is a volunteer, so please don’t expect a 20 minute QSL !

Final payments please by Thurs 19th November.

Happy Christmas !!

Den

For more information, see https://sdarc.net/scrabble-2026/

The Swindon & District Amateur Radio Club is proud to announce that it is now a RSGB Brickworks Accredited Club.

The Brickworks scheme is an exciting and fun way to build on what you have learned on your Foundation Course. It enables you to learn more about your new hobby, build your confidence, gain a greater understanding of how to get the best out of your equipment and enjoy new experiences, but it does not need to be limited to Foundation Licence holders. The tasks can be enjoyed by all members of the club, no matter what licence level, as it encourages mentoring and training all, in the many different aspects of the hobby. Most of all, it encourages activities and getting on the air.

The Swindon & District Amateur Radio Club will be incorporating the various activities in to its usual busy schedule throughout 2026. If you want to find out more or get involved, then please do come along and join us at the club.

Please visit links below for more information about Brickworks and the club.

https://rsgb.org/main/beyond-exams-building-experience/brickworks/

There is currently an issue with calendars on the website. They have randomly stopped working. Despite some attempts to bring them back online, I have been unable to. Hoping this is an issue that will be fixed by Google (that is where the calendar is hosted) and it will start working on its own again.

If not, more investigation will be required.

Here are the next few events to tide you over.

• 04/12 @ 1930 – Christmas Dinner
• 11/12 @ 1930 – Christmas Quiz
• 18/12 @ 19030 – Activity Night
• 25/12 – No club
• 01/01 – No club
• 08/01 @ 1930 – Activity Night

FYI .. CHRISTMAS !!!!
……Yes, no typo !! … Christmas !

I have just booked The Harvester in Blunsdon for our annual Christmas Dinner (as debated on WhatsApp and agreed last evening at Club).

The booking is for 19:45 on Thursday 4th December 2025.

Remember Station Managers, sons, daughters… also very welcome.

Please see Harvester website for menu details at:

www.harvester.co.uk/restaurants/southwest/harvesterswindonwiltshire/menus/festivemenu

Please email Den with your menu choices ([email protected]) and he will QSL that back to you.

Payment via BACS to SDARC’s account below – either a minimum £5 deposit or your cost in full.
SDARC Account details :
Sort Code: 20-84-58
Account Number: 80868728
Please add a reference of your call sign and “Christmas”.

It would help get acknowledgement of your payment sooner if you email [email protected] to tell Andy that you have paid (as the Bank doesn’t send him any notifications!) Please remember he too is a volunteer, so don’t expect a 20 minute reply confirming your payment!

Final payments please by Thurs 20th November .

Happy Christmas !!😂😂

Den

Throughout July and August we will meet in the car park at Barbury Castle. If you don’t know where it is and you have a GPS… 51.483822, -1.777436

The council lock this gate at 7pm. Whilst we have a key to get out, if you want to get in without issue, arrive prior to 7pm or you can park outside and walk in.

Barbury Castle is an Iron Age hill fort situated in Wiltshire, England. It is one of several such forts found along the ancient Ridgeway route. The site, which lies within the Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, has been managed as a country park by Swindon Borough Council since 1971. It is situated on Barbury Hill, a local vantage point, which, under ideal weather conditions, commands a view across to the Cotswolds and the River Severn. It has two deep defensive ditches and ramparts. The Old Ridgeway runs close by and the modern Ridgeway crosses through the castle. In the surrounding area are to be found round barrows, Celtic field systems and 18th-19th Century flint workings.

We will be back in the Reading Rooms from September

Recorded on 23/01/2025 for SDARC.

Instructables – https://www.instructables.com/Magnetic-Loop-Antenna-Automated-Tuner
Butterfly Capacitor Kit – https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/165378860136
Magloop Calculator – https://miguelvaca.github.io/vk3cpu/magloop.html

The slides are available to download below…

If you need to register for a D-STAR account, https://regist.dstargateway.org/instructions

If you need to register for Brandmeister, https://brandmeister.network/?page=register

If you need to register a DMR ID, https://radioid.net/account/register

If you want to download PiStar, https://www.pistar.uk/downloads

If you want to download WPSD (newer fork of PiStar), https://w0chp.radio/wpsd

If you want the Raspberry Pi Imager, https://www.raspberrypi.com/software